Shep Smith: Trump could ‘turn back the global clock centuries’ with NATO criticism

Fox News host Shepard Smith on Wednesday ripped President Trump for his criticisms of NATO members, saying the comments could “turn back the global clock centuries.”

“President Trump upended world order in a way no American president has in modern history,” Smith said.

{mosads}Smith, a frequent Trump critic, pointed to Trump’s attacks on NATO members for not yet fulfilling their commitment to increase their countries’ defense spending by 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) by 2024.

“Obviously that deadline is six years away and only a handful of those countries have reached that goal,” Smith said, adding that members have in general increased their spending. “The trend is positive. Just as President Trump has been demanding.”

Trump continued his attacks on the alliance as he attended the NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday. While there, he demanded that alliance members double their commitment and spend at least 4 percent of their GDP on defense. Last year, the U.S. spent just 3.6 percent of its GDP on defense.

Though several countries are on track to meet the 2024 deadline for the 2 percent spending level, Trump has suggested that the increases are not sufficient, and that some countries should reimburse the U.S. for its contributions to NATO.

“Many countries are not paying what they should,” he said. “And, frankly, many countries owe us a tremendous amount of money for many years back, where they’re delinquent, as far as I’m concerned, because the United States has had to pay for them.”

Smith also criticized Trump for calling Germany “captive to Russia” over a gas pipeline deal with Russia. Smith listed several ways that Germany has demonstrated friendship to the U.S., including treating wounded American soldiers amid conflicts with terrorist groups.

“Germany is one of our closest allies,” Smith said. “After the attacks of 9/11, we called on Germany’s leadership to send troops to fight with us in Afghanistan. They answered. They have fought with American troops for seventeen years.”